Yesterday Alex and Serena both wrote about the tremendous amount of money that the Mormon Church is directing towards the gay marriage bans in California and Arizona. But this story is about more that just money. It's about a powerful church with coffers full of money, stung for a century by an untruth about polygamy that just won't go away . . . and now, the opportunity to mount a campaign to kill this old bird and in doing so add the bonus of stamping out for a generation or more the hopes of thousands of GLBT folks to find marital bliss . . . this is the Perfect Storm of Religion vs. State.

Something is happening in the land, and by the time the electorate awakens on Wednesday, November 5th, it will be all over except the shouting. The Mormon Church, in my opinion the most powerful church in the United States (and perhaps the world), has very carefully orchestrated the process needed to write into the constitutions of three states the ultimate in discrimination against GLBT folks . . . forever forbidding them to marry.

Why? It may be just as simple as this . . . a final attempt by the gerontological leadership of the LDS Church, averaging in age in the 80's, hearkening back to a previous century and all the grief they've taken about polygamy, to convince the world once and for all that this is not the weird church out of Utah that believes in polygamous marriage, but the global church that believes in one man, one woman marriage. Oh, and it's the church with the power and wherewithal to write discrimination into the constitutions of our states.

Are they willing to 'bet the ranch' on this roll of the dice? You betcha. Why? Because they look upon themselves as the 'only true church in all the world today.' With such an elitist attitude, why not act on it? How?

It has to do with HEROIC GOALS, the kind I taught hundreds of pre-missionary youth before they were called for their Mormon missions. You see, ordinary goals do not excite the youth of today, nor their parents. They are only excited by extraordinary, HEROIC GOALS...the ones that take the ultimate in commitment because they are set so high. What goal is higher than changing the world?

There is a basic tenet of Mormonism you have to understand. No one wants to sacrifice for the Lord more than 'active' Mormons do. And the ultimate in doing so is following the words of the Prophet exactly. Our youth are brought up to treasure the chance to go on a mission, which they pay for themselves to the tune of more than $10,000. The HEROIC GOAL here is to convert the whole world to the LDS religion. Mormons now proudly have members in every country in the world, and missionaries by the hundreds in many of them.

But they haven't converted everyone, so as adults they still have this tremendous desire to get it done. In genealogy they intend to convert everyone who is now dead to the Church, or at least give each dead person a chance to accept the LDS religion. To that end there are almost 100 cameras in every part of the world digitizing records from every possible place to add to the billions of names already secured in granite vaults in the mountains of Utah. Another HEROIC GOAL . . . baptize BILLIONS!

The Church has grown until it is now the fourth largest in the US, with nearly 6,000,000 members here and 13,000,000+ around the world. Because of the emphasis on tithing, the Church coffers are filled to the brim with money that is being freely spent to improve the image of the Church throughout the world.

However, fearing they might lose tax exempt status, they have engineered the giving for ballot measures so that the Mormon Church is using the money of its members, as well as their time and efforts, rather than the money of the Church itself. With these finances, it has embarked on a carefully orchestrated plan to change the world we live in. By calling this the Final Battle in Church vs. State, they are able to marshal a literal army to donate money and walk the streets . . . why? To defeat the Gay Marriage.

The Mormon Church has finally come into its own, and the galvanizing is taking place around the gay marriage amendments in California, Arizona, and Florida. California is the 'mother lode' in this because 'as goes California, so goes the nation.' We've heard that over and over, and the Mormon Church believes it, too.

Thousands of pastors in other denominations have been duped into following Salt Lake's lead. They are so enamored of 'How the Mormons Do It,' that they are willing to follow the Church's lead into hell if that's where it is to take them. Just the fact that the Mormons are including them in this fight means that they are willing to drop all the slings and arrows against the LDS Church to be able to fight side by side in this battle.

You can just sense their glee. They are used to being outsiders who are not privileged to understanding how the Mormons can do what they do. They are envious of the amounts of money that can be raised by the Mormons, and the wonderful coordination of how the faithful fall in line at the mere hint from the Prophet. And now they have been invited to the 'inner circle,' where they are finally allowed to sit at the table and view how it is done firsthand.

Recently the Mormons were able to get some 3,200 pastors in California on two different conference calls to coordinate the efforts of other religions all across the state. In addition, there are 25,000 people canvassing for the amendment each weekend, the majority of which are members of the Mormon Church. Thousands more are calling from all across the nation on their cell phones to voters in California. This has been totally orchestrated by the Mormon Church, but it can now call on a 'coalition' of faiths to provide legitimacy.

If one person has a HEROIC GOAL, and another one doesn't, who do you think is going to win? Until we completely understand that this is really so BIG it is unbelievable, we won't be able to muster the wherewithal to fight this challenge. This really is the battle for our age. Please spread this Perfect Storm Scenario far and wide so that everyone will understand . . . this is for keeps as far as the Mormons are concerned.

Leave a comment

We want to know your opinion on this issue! While arguing about an opinion or idea is encouraged, personal attacks will not be tolerated. Please be respectful of others.

The editorial team will delete a comment that is off-topic, abusive, exceptionally incoherent, includes a slur or is soliciting and/or advertising. Repeated violations of the policy will result in revocation of your user account. Please keep in mind that this is our online home; ill-mannered house guests will be shown the door.

I think we can speak for ourselves. Others attempt to characterize what & who we are but fail miserable. Instead you spread half truths that bring misunderstanding and prejudice, Please get it right. Its the Christian thing to do and if that doesn't matter then its the moral thing to do. For starters...ask us. We regard our gay brothers & sisters just as Christ has ask us to do...that is to love all mankind. They are as precious in the Lord's eyes as any Prophet or Apostle or Mormon or non-Mormon. We do see SSA as a challenge for many of them. They themselves see SSA as a challenge. The Lord made them that way and must have some purpose for doing so. Their personal decision to be immoral is no different for them as it is for straights. Immorality is a sin for all and has natural and spiritual consequences. If they choose to have a monogamous relationship that is between them and the Lord. There is a consequence for such a relationship in the Church. I would hope that further revelation will help us understand this. I do not but I am not in a position to judge another's prayerful decision. Marriage is to be a sacred union between a man and a woman. This doesn't mean we cannot honor & respect their decision both legally and morally to live as gay couples. They should be given every legal right as married couples and furthermore be as welcomed on Sunday as any other church member. We are about preserving the institution of marriage and family. They certainly qualify as family. We don't consume our energies condemning other churches or religions. We seek to bring others to Christ as many other churches do. Others however are so intimidated by us or whatever other reason I don't know that they are consumed to bringing us down. What a waste of precious time that could be used serving others and bringing them to Christ. You will never defeat the Church of Christ nor understand it fully.

That's wishful thinking, just like your entire fantasy of a life-after-death and anthropomorphic deity who cares what I do with my genitals for pleasure. While it may make you feel better to say it--along with all the other statements "people of faith" make--saying it won't make it true.

Bottom line: if you really believed in an all-powerful god who cared about what we do in our sex lives, you'd ignore lgbt folks, confident that god would sort it out and punish us for our supposed transgressions after our deaths. That you--and "people of faith" like you--spend your waking hours stressing over sin, punishment, sex, and converting people is called "psychological projection," and it represents just how strongly you don't believe and trust in your god.

This doesn't mean we cannot honor & respect their decision both legally and morally to live as gay couples. They should be given every legal right as married couples and furthermore be as welcomed on Sunday as any other church member. We are about preserving the institution of marriage and family. They certainly qualify as family. Yeti, this sounds like an enlightened position. I guess I don't understand why your Church promoting Proposition 8. Do you see a difference between civil marriage (granting legal benefits) and religious marriage (granting spiritual benefits)? I am puzzled that any religion would promote Proposition 8 since it doesn't affect them.

I see a big difference between what we call "Temple Marriage " and civil unions. Temple marriages are eternal in nature. Civil unions are not. The reason they are promoting Prop8 is because the Church supports the family and the sanctity of marriage between a man and a women. That being said unfortunately it looks like they are anti-gay. They are not anti-gay but need a courageous prophet to take this to the Lord. Gay civil unions should also have the spiritual temple blessings. This will happen as someone steps up to the plate.

In Roman Catholicism we used to call it a "Divine Mystery" when God (represented exclusively on earth by our church) had a doctrine that made no sense.

I would find it much more amusing to eliminate tax exempt status for all churches. (that way we would not be discriminating against anyone) In my Chicago experience there are some five to seven person "congregations" out there (who are all related) using their status as a non profit to profit. Lets have an extra bingo card please!

never has an article made me this angry as[yeti]!!!!!! I'm reading your blog since well over 8 month and you are pretty good!!! I'm just a a 50 year old female widow who doesn't care one way or the other, as long as there is no discrimination involved. Why am I reading words like 'imoral'?? What is 'imoral' about loving somebody of the same gender or for that matter loving ANYBODY OF ANY GENDER??? Why don't you zip it with your darn 'relgion' and try to become a HUMAN BEING?? You are making me sick with your pretending to 'understand' but I'm also glad BILERICO printed your letter, it's called 'freedom of speach'

Uta....I hope you misunderstood me. I do not discriminate against gays. I am not your judge or their judge. I believe God is. In Christianity we believe there is right and wrong. We believe that certain behaviors are sinful and immoral. In society in general, we see that there are natural consequences to certain behaviors. It is immoral to steal. It is immoral to cheat on your spouse. The immorality I speak of is as true for straights as it is for gays. Sex with many partners without commitment is a sin in Christianity. That is not my law. That is gods law. If you have a bone to pick, pick it with god. I personally have enough trouble with the commandments myself to ever think I can judge another. I honor the judgements of God even if I do not always understand them totally. Thanks for listening Uta.

In the opinion of many faiths, there is nothing wrong with a committed, same-sex relationship. By their standards, it ought to be fine for such committed couples to attain legal recognition and protection of property rights, hospital rights, custodial rights and the myriad other of the rights conveyed by the civil contract known as marriage.

When the Mormon Church and other churches, primarily evangelical, organise to deny us these rights on the basis of their religious beliefs, they are attempting to cross the church/state wall that the Founding Fathers established.

Beyond that, I've not yet heard anyone present a cogent argument that same sex marriage would have a single deleterious effect upon society.

Maura, I agree that gay couples are as family as the so-called traditional family. They have no more natural propensity to be unfaithful as traditional unions. They should have ervery legal and spiritual rights as traditional relationships. As a Mormon who's church is a the fore front I can pray that their reasoning is in defense of Marriage between a man & a Women and not as a clear bias against gays.

Divorce is a sin. Funny, I don't see any amendments being passed to deny marriage rights to divorced people (especially the one that cheated). God supposedly LOVES heterosexuals and they make these oh so sacred vows to THEIR GOD and then turn right around and break them because it's too inconvenient to stay together. Heterosexuals are promiscuous to(hence the 50% divorce rate, even higher for Evangelicals). Until you start passing amendments to hold heterosexuals to THEIR GODS laws, I'll continue to think of you as nothing but a bunch of posers using a sin that doesn't affect you to pose, pose, pose. Yeah, all sins are the same! What a crock!